ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – The University of New Mexico’s Street Medicine team within the UNM School of Medicine has partnered with local organizations to provide free care and resources to unhoused individuals and their pets in Albuquerque.
The UNM Street Medicine team, New Mexico Veterans for Pets, also known as Vets for Pets, Albuquerque Community Services (ACS), and other local partners held a pop-up clinic for people experiencing homelessness outside the International District Library on Tuesday.
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People who attended the clinic were able to get checked out and receive medical care from the UNM team, learn about resources available to them from ACS, and get supplies and information to take care of their dogs from Vets for Pets.
“We provide just basic screening, health screening for the animals. We provide food, we provide water, and other small supplies, leashes, collars, dog food, bowls, things like that,” said Dr. Finnie Coleman, a faculty member at UNM and the leader of the non-profit organization Vets for Pets.
On the days when there isn’t a pop-up clinic, Coleman said staff from Vets for Pets respond to calls from ACS about pets who are injured. “We’ll go out sometimes into the unhoused community where a dog’s been injured, and we’ll provide medical screening for the dog and try to make sure that we get it taken care of by a vet if necessary,” he explained.
The Vets for Pets team is comprised of about 10 people, some of whom are volunteers. Their main goals are to help military veterans find work in the pet care industry and help local shelters by caring for animals at risk of being euthanized. Coleman, a veteran, said his organization takes inspiration from the UNM Street Medicine team led by Lindsay Fox, MSPAS, PA-C.
“I think it’s important to care for the whole family, and that includes the pets. If we can encourage people to take care of their pets, they might take better care of their own health, and that will create places and spaces for them to get better treatment,” said Fox, who works in UNM’s Department of Internal Medicine within the School of Medicine.
By providing treatment and resources to people in their own environment, Fox said it will hopefully create trust between the unhoused community and providers. “We see them in their spaces instead of asking them to come into our spaces all the time, which can quite frankly be sometimes scary and intimidating. But here at our pop-ups, there’s lawn chairs, there’s music, there’s food. It just creates an environment where people want to get care and meet the team,” said Fox.
Coleman said Vets for Pets would like to be able to provide more food, supplies, and vaccines to pets in need. For those interested in donating or seeking services, click here.
To learn more about the UNM Street Medicine team, click here.
